Manicuring appliance



Aug. 4, 1931. E. soRENY '1,816,376

V MANICURING APPLIANCE Filed my 1a, 195o /NVE/vrof? ERNEST .SORENV A TTORNEV Patented Aug. 4, 1931 yER1\`I'EST SORENY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

' MANIGURING APPLIANCE Application filed July 18,

This invention relates to manicuring appliances and more particularly to holders of tensioned fibrous material for cleaning 'linger nails.

lUsually a personvcleans the nails on the hand with a file or other sharp instrument which is liable tocause infection of the sensitive parts of the lingers under the nails or fail to dislodge foreign matter without unlii due pain. Furthermore, a nail file is not sufficiently flexible or yielding to enter the crevice at the juncture of the nail and quick of the linger to efliciently remove encrusted particles accumulated therebetween. Another difficulty attending the use of a metallic instrument in contact with sensitive skin tissues of the fingers is the probability of aggravating the sensitivity of thenerves terminating under the finger nails to such an extent that the ngers arek too sensitive to handle or touch articles.

Y Therefore, the need of a vsuliiciently pliable cleaning agent will be readily apparent. 1n Vorder to manipulate a convenient agent, such -as a stranded cord, a practical holder must kbe provided which will apply .theproper yten-v sion to the cord rand be sufficiently rigid so that it may be easily handled `to apply recip.-

, rocatingp frictional' movement during the 'cleaning operation. Y

An object of this invention is to provide a f cleaning implement or device which is elficient and compact and capable of removing .foreign matter from the nails without `affect- Bai alb

ing` the sensitive parts of the fingers.

Another object ofthe invention is to produce a nail floss holder which rcan be manufactured at low cost and of convenient size to lit into a carrying case.

A further object of the invention is to combine a carrier or supply container in the holder to continuously supply the cleaning surface of tensioned material as oft-en as needed.y

In accordance with this invention the nail cleaning appliance comprises a holder hav ingk abody portion which can easily be gripped between the lingers and thumb to apply reciprocating' movement to the holder. The body portion is provided with arms at 1930. Serial No. 468,773.

the ends which are slotted to receive a stranded cord liess or other fibrous material treated with cleaning powder. The rigidity of thev arms in spaced relation hold the cleaning ioss under a suitable tension and when manipulated by the movement under the nails o f the lingers removes every particle of foreign matter without irritation ofthe sensitive nerves of the finger and imparts a clean and fresh appearance to the nails. In another embodiment of the invention the body por tion is formed into a hollow receptacle to receive a Supply of oss which may be continuously wound over wedging buttons formed on the arm portions.

Another feature of the invention relates to a folding type holder having tivo sections of the same configuration, either section rotating in an arc about an axis of a circular body portion forming the floss receptacle. The floss receptacle is provided with symmetrt cal tiered arms which are in alignment in a close position to form a compact structure and in an open position are locked in spaced relation by an abutting ear and the length 5.

of floss tensioned between the arms. This arrangement insures a convenient holder which occupies a small space yet may be easily adjusted to an operating position with o a simple rotating motion. Furthermore, the

elements of the holder being symmetrical can be manufactured at low cost and the assembly of the elements into a unitary structure can be accomplished with the minimum of press operations.

These and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Fig.V 1 represents the simplest form of thev nail floss holder made in accordance with this invention in which the spaced arms are slotted to .receive the treated floss material shown above the holder.

Fig. 2 illustrates another form of rigid structure in which the body portion :is a Jholn low cylinder enclosing a supply of floss adapted to be continuously fed into operating position. Y n

Fig. 3 is an end view of the holder of Fig.

2, the holder being formed of a single blank of sheet metal.

Fig. l'illustrates the folding or collapsible type -holder niade in accordance with thisV invention in which the two symmetrical portions may be closed for compactness and opened yby rotating in an arc, with a cylindrical receptacle for thefiloss.

` in Fig. 6 in which the two halves of the receptacle form the rotating surfaces for adjusting the holder to closed oropen position. f l

' Referring to the drawings, the cleaning floss hold-er of this invention in its sim? plest form comprises, as'shown in Fig. 1, a

unitaryvdevice formed of a single lilanlr ofV sheet metal. The holder has abody vpertion '10 adapted to be gripped between ythe tips of the fingers and the thumb. ltroje'cting from the ends of the elongated bodyvportion 10 are integral arms 11 and 12,v shown inclined outwardly from the center of the body portion 10. The arm 11 is provided with a slot 13 extending in from the outerl edge to receive yand securely'. hold the Aknotted end 14 of a length of stranded fibrous material 15, such asl twisted cotton cord or floss. The floss 15 is preferably loosely twisted and highly absorbent and is adapted to be treated with a cleaning solution containing soap, chalk or Whiting and thoroughly dried.k After the knotted end of the 4floss is secured vin posi" tion the length of floss is stretched taut be tween the arms 11 and 12 and inserted in the vertical slot 1tl in arm 12 and wound aroundthe reduced endy of arm 12 formed bythe slot16 and the cut out portion 17 rPhe arms of lthe holder arequite rigid, therefore, the length of floss extending therebetween,isheld.

undery a suitabletension whereby any desirf able pressure may be exerted on the floss depending on the. amount of foreign matter to be removed from the nails. W' hen the flossl isstretched between the arms of the holder it is desirableto moisten the flossby dipping in water or the floss may previously be treated with hygroscopic chemicals which Vcause the floss toabsorb moisture from the air.

This improves ythe dislodging qualitiesV of the floss and aids in releasing the cleaningi material heldin the fibers ofV the material.

In order to proceed with the cleaning of the nails of the hand it is only necessary to place l the tensioned length of floss held in the arms 11 Vand 12 of the holder under the nail and apply reciprocating movement to the holder to remove encrusted foreign materialunder the nail. This motion'applied to thefloss cleans the nail andat the same time releases the cleaning material held in the floss where-V by the nails are cleared of dirt and grime and improved in appearance by the cleaning powder deposited under the nails.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the same type of nail cleaning appliance as Fig.1 except the body portion is provided with a tubular receptacle 18 formed integral with the body portion 10 and the arms 11 and 12. The receptacle 18 is formed from an apron extension of the body portion which is folded over t0 form a cylinder directly below the body portionv and extends over the upper edge of the body portion and folded at'19 to complete the press operation rlhe ends of the cylindrical receptacle 18 are closed by metallic' caps or plugs 20 and 21, the cap 21 having an aperture through which a length of floss may be withdrawn from the supply jof continuous floss 22 heldin the receptacle. The arms 11 and 12 are provided with metallic buttons 23l over which` the length of floss is tensioned. iis shown in Fig. 2 the floss is .wound around the buttons to securely wedge the floss in place and prevent slippage. A cutting edge 211 is provided on the inner edge of the arm 11 to sever the length of floss after cleaning the nails and removing from the wedging buttons. YThis can be accomplished in an expeditious manner after securing the following length of floss in position whereupon the soiled length may be cut olf. This arrangement provides a compact and efficient device which may be conveniently carried in a handbag and used whenever desired. While the arms are shown in a plane coincident with't-he axis of the cylindrical receptacle 18 it. may be desirable to arrange one or both arms at right Vangles to the body portion to secure flexibility in'the device.

'.While the holders shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are rigid in structure to simplify Vthe asseinbly, itis also within the scope of this invention to provide a holder of the collapsible type as shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment the holder is formed yof two elements substantially symmetrical inform having circular body portions 25a and 256 and `.tapered arms 26a. and 26??. Y The circular portions are held in face-to-face. relation and riveted together at the center as shown clearly in Fig. 5. The element formed by the circular portion 250i and arm portion 26e is a substantially flat blank while the other element is provided with discontinuous upturned edge 27 extending around the outer boundary of the circular body portion 25?). This is shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4. The arm portion 2Gb is bent outwardly at 28 and then parallels the arm portion 25a 4but in spaced relation thereto. Att-ached to the endsfof the varms are the wedging buttons 28 arranged in opposed relai tion and protected in the closed position of the holderto prevent interference with loose articles in the handbag. The receptacle for containing the supply of nail cleaning floss is formed in accordance with this invention by a cup-shaped cap or cover 29 which embraces and securely fits on the upturned edge 27 of the cylindrical portion 25?). The cover is provided with a slot vor opening 30 in alignment with an aperture 31 in the bent portion of the arm 265 through which a length of floss from the receptacle may be drawn to be tensioned between the buttons on the arms ofthe holder. The holder is shown in operating position in Fig. 4 with the arms held in spaced relation by a stop member 32 which is an up'turned lug projecting from the edge of the arm 26?) adjacent the circular body portion 25o. This stop member limits the rotation of theflat element when it is desired to employ the holder for'cleaning the nails and also limits the rotation of this element in the direction indicated by the arrow in the collapsed position of the holder as shown in dotted outline. This form of holder re` quires' a small amount of space yet is easily adjusted for use. Furthermore, the structure is substantially rigid and can be easily manufactured at low cost.

The structure shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is a modified form of the invention described above and consists of two elements in which the'circular body portions 25a and 2579 are provided with cups or cover members 33 and 34 which are fitted together as shown in cross section-in Fig. 7 to form the receptacle for the nail cleaning floss and act as a rotating bearing for the holder. The arm portions 26a and 26?) are bent close together in faceto-face relation and the wedging buttons 23 are attached to the outer surfaces of the arms. A stop member 32 limits the movement of the arms in the same manner as described in connection with the holder shown in Fig. 4. This arrangement permits the assembly to be accomplished with substantially similar elements which can beV manufactured at a cost lower than the structure shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore, the rotation of the arms is considerably freer due to the receptacle which forms the bearing surface for rotating the arms into either closed or open position.

The invention has been disclosed in which the holders are formed of metal which is a desirable material to handle in manufacturing process and may be easily colored in attractive shades to appeal to feminine tastes. Furthermore, the flat surface of the body portion of the holder provides space for printing or advertising display. However, itis to be understood that the inventionmay also be applied to other materials such as bakelite or other moldable material.

Various forms of the invention are shown in the drawings and described in the specification but the invention is not -to be limited o to these specific forms since it 1s readily apparent `that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A nail cleaning device comprising two symmetrical elements having a body portion and an arm extending portion, means for rotating said elements in an are, and means forming a receptacle carried by said body portions of said elements. y

2. A nail cleaning device comprising two symmetrical element-s having a body portion and an arm extending portion, means for rotating said elements in an arc, means forming a receptacle carried by said body portions, and means projecting from one of said elements and abutting against the other element to limit the rotation thereof.

3. A nail cleaning device comprising two symmetrical elements having a circular body portion andan arm extending portion, means for rotating said elements in an arc, one of said elements having an upt-urned edge around the periphery of the circular body portion, and a cap member fitting over said edge.

4. A nail cleaning device comprising two symmetrical metallic elements having a circular' body7 portion and an arm extending portion, the two circular portions being centrally riveted together and rotatable with respectto each other, the arm portions being positioned in parallel spaced relation, and wedging means formed on the ends of said arms and located between the spaced ends thereof.

5. A nail cleaning device comprising two symmetrical elements having a circular body portion and a tapered arm portion projecting from said body portion, the two circular portions being joined together centrally and rotatable in an are, said arms being spaced in parallel relation, and metallic buttons rig idly fastened to the ends of said arms.

6. A nail cleaning device comprising two similar shaped elements joined together and rotatably movable adapted to be positioned in alignment in closed position and capable of being adjusted to open position with the free ends spaced, and means carried by the joined ends for feeding cleaning floss to the free ends of said elements to tension a length of floss therebetween.

7. A nail cleaning holder comprising two similar shaped metallic elements having circular body portions and arm extensions, said body portions being in spaced relation and the arm portions in contact with each other in closed position, and means carried by said body portions forming a receptacle therebetween and serving as a circular bearing for rotating said elements.

8. A nail cleaning holder comprising two similar shaped metallic elements having circular body portions and arm extensions, said Y n v 1,816,876'-V body portions 'having cooperating circular rims adaptedto interlock to form a. receptacle for cleaning'floss, and means attached to said Varms for tensioning the floss in operating' position. Y

Y y9. nail cleaning holderv comprising tWo similar shaped metallic elements having a circular body portion and an arm extension. and a cup-shaped member joined to the inner surface of each of said body portions.

l0. 'A nail cleaning holder comprising two symmetrical metallic elements having a circular portion and an arm extensiony integral therewith7 and a cup-shaped member centrally riveted to each of said body portions,

the edge of one of said members fitting Within the other member to form a friction bear- Y ing for rotating said elements With respect to each other. y

11.` A nail cleaning holder comprising tWo symmetrical metallic elements having Va circular body portion and an arm extension integral therewith, a cup-shaped member attached to and'vvithin the boundary of each o said body portions and adapted to be interlocked to form a friction bearing for said;

elements, vvedging buttons carried on the ends of said arms, and means projecting from one of said arms limiting the rotary movement of the other arm in either direction.

In Witness whereof, I'hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of July, 1930. Y

` ERNEST SORENY. 

